How does Hilary Erickson's method for menu planning save time and reduce stress?

Hi, I’m Hilary Erickson from The Pregnancy Nurse.

My menu planning method saves time and stress because I decide what’s for dinner when I’m calm—usually in the morning or once a week—so I’m not standing in the kitchen at 5 pm feeling overwhelmed. I gather recipes (binder, computer, or box), choose meals for a set time frame, and buy everything in one organized trip.

That way, at dinnertime I’m just executing a plan, not making decisions, hunting recipes, or running to the store. Even on “non-planning” weeks, I use a simple system: shop my freezer and produce drawer first, then build dinner around what needs to be used up.

Do you want help setting up a simple weekly plan, or more of a “use what you have” system?